The RFID-enabled dairy farm: towards total farm management

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is currently being deployed in government mandated livestock identification schemes across the world. RFID in its basic function can help authorities identify animals, especially when traceability becomes paramount during disease outbreaks across regions. This paper provides a view of how an RFID-enabled dairy farm can leverage mobile network infrastructure towards achieving total farm management. The data for the study was collected from two case studies, both NLIS (national livestock identification system) compliant dairy farms on the South Coast of New South Wales in Australia. The Cochrane and Strong Farms were used as models to illustrate the core and auxiliary technology components of an RFID-enabled dairy farm. This paper provides the first end-to-end view of the infrastructure and processes required to achieve an advanced RFID-enabled state-of-the-art dairy farm.